Journal of Food Protection Vol. 68, No. 9 http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iafp/jfp/2005/00000068/00000009/art00024
Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that can cause listeriosis, a severe disease that can lead to septicemia, meningitis, and spontaneous abortion. The focus of this report is the use of a risk-based approach to identify strategies that will have the greatest impact on reducing foodborne listeriosis.
The ILSI Research Foundation/Risk Science Institute Expert Panel on L. monocytogenes in foods. Control strategies presents from pre-harvest through consumption to minimize the likelihood that food will become contaminated by L. monocytogenes and to prevent the growth of the organism. The Expert Panel identified three main strategies for ensuring continuous improvement in reducing foodborne listeriosis:
• Preventing contamination of foods with L. monocytogenes;
• Preventing growth of L. monocytogenes to high numbers in foods
• Science-based education messages targeted to susceptible populations and their caregivers.
Dose-response models can be used as a scientific basis for a target level below which the organism should be reduced to minimize the likelihood of listeriosis in high-risk populations. Most effective strategies to control L. monocytogenes in high-risk foods include:
• Good Manufacturing Practices, sanitation standard operating procedures and HACCP programs, to minimize environmental L. monocytogenes contamination and to prevent cross-contamination in processing plants and at retail;
• Intensive environmental sampling program in plants processing high-risk foods, along with an effective corrective action plan to reduce the likelihood of contamination of high risk foods;
• Time and temperature controls throughout the entire distribution and storage period, including establishing acceptable storage times for foods that support growth of L. monocytogenes to high numbers;
• Reformulating foods to prevent or retard the growth of L. monocytogenes, and
• Post-packaging treatments to destroy L. monocytogenes on products.
Science-based education and risk communication strategies aimed at susceptible populations and focused on high-risk foods should be delivered through health care providers or other credible sources of information. High-risk individuals (i.e., the elderly, pregnant women and most of the immunocompromised) should be provided with guidance on healthy eating, including specific information on high-risk foods that they should avoid, and strategies to reduce their risk thorough cooking, avoidance of cross-contamination, and short-term refrigerated storage of cooked perishable foods.